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1 2 How to Use the Study Guide 4 An Introduction to the Gospel of Mark 5 Lesson 1: All About 6 Text: Mark 1:1-13 Key Verse(s): 1:7 Lesson 2: An 8 Text: Mark 1:14-20; 2:13-17 Key Verse(s): 1:17 Lesson 3: Jesus Ministry 10 Text: Mark 1:21-39 Key Verse(s): 1:22, 1:31, 1:35 Lesson 4: You Ever Seen Anything Like This 12 Text: Mark 2:1-12 Key Verse(s): 2:5 and 2:12 Lesson 5: Jesus Changes things - Part 14 Text: Mark 2:18-28 Key Verse(s): 2:22 and 2:27-28 Lesson 6: Jesus Changes Things Part 16 Text: Mark 3 Key Verse(s): 3:2 and 3:6 3 At Fellowship Church Pellissippi we aim to be disciples that make disciples. We do this by gathering together for worship and teaching, growing together in disciple-making groups and serving in the church and as the church in our community. Simply put, we Gather, we Grow and We Serve. The primary way we grow is together and in the Word. From the very beginning days of the New testament Church disciples would gather together to be encouraged, sharpened, corrected and taught by the Word of God. The Word itself is life-giving. (Hebrews 4:12-13) We can learn from the scripture in our private study and we should. However, we grow together when we bring those private spiritual moments in to Gospel-centered community. Like fitness, we can exercise alone, but everyone knows the benefits of exercising with someone else. You get pushed and challenged to new heights. You have accountability to show up and participate. These are just a couple of benefits of studying Word in community. This study guide is designed with this in mind. The Format Our Study of the Gospel of Mark will be broken down into 5 mini-series Each mini-series will explore a particular theme and focus in the Gospel of Mark. Each lesson is based on the scripture passage taught during the Sunday worship gatherings. As a leader and a participant, the lessons will bring the most value when attended the worship gathering, or listened to the podcast. Recommendations Each week review the Scripture passage for the lesson. Make notes or journal what the Spirit is revealing to you. Review the questions ahead of time, jotting down answers in advance. This preparation will make your gathering time more beneficial not just for you, but for your fellow group members. 4 In the Bigger Picture: The Gospel of Mark is the second of four Gospels Each of these four Gospels share the same theme: The good news (gospel) about Jesus. This is one of the reasons that you will see familiar stories repeated in the other accounts of Matthew, Luke and John. Reading all of the Gospels gives us a complimentary picture of the life and mission of Jesus, using different perspectives and emphases to tell us one story. This means that while occasionally you may read something that seems to be contradictory, in reality what you are reading is a different flavor of the same substance. Mark, like his fellow Gospel writers, penned down this account under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit (2 Tim 3:16). Though Mark and the other Gospels are inspired, they are written from the own human viewpoint, personality, and for a particular audience. This accounts for an occasional variance in an events details. The Author: While no inherent claim of authorship is made in the book of Mark, we have considerable evidence that supports John Mark (his formal name, see Acts 12:12) as the author. Mark likely relied on the apostle Peter as a primary source for his Gospel account; we know that Mark and Peter shared a close bond (1 Pt 5:13) and that they worked closely together. He is also notably a cousin of Barnabas (Col 4:10). failure and restoration is a significant storyline in the New Testament narrative. Paul felt that he was too risky to take a second chance on, but not Barnabas. Barnabas took him on his missionary journey, and the results indicate that Mark was fully restored through and mentorship. Paul even requested that Mark rejoin him in his ministry work (2 Tim 4:11). Date and Setting: Most scholars believe that Mark was written around 50 A.D. This is a significant date, considering that many of the people mentioned in work as witnesses of the life and ministry of Jesus would have still been living when Mark wrote the details. While Matthew was written primarily to a Jewish audience, Mark seems to be written first and foremost to Roman and Gentile believers. The minimal use of parables, use of Roman time, lack of genealogies, and the explanation of Jewish customs indicates that audience would have been Roman/Gentile. Another compelling reason why we believe Mark was specifically writing to Roman and Gentile readers is emphasis on the power of Jesus. Throughout Gospel, we see references to the power of Jesus made (i.e. Mk 5:30, 9:1, 13:26). Rome was a culture whose attentions were always fixed on gaining power, influence, and becoming dominant forces in the world. Mark showcases many miracles in his account, and he retells the events of life with action-oriented details; this would have made for engaging and interesting reading among the Roman and Gentile crowds. Theme: Mark presents to us Jesus unparalleled in human history. His influence and power are on full display. What makes Mark unique is the deeply personal Jesus we see. There is a greater emphasis on actions, often showing mercy and compassion that was extraordinarily counterculture in the times. 5 Mark 1:1-13 Key Verse(s): 1:7 All About REVIEW: In the opening verse (1:1) Mark lays out the theme of his writing: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of What does this opening phrase tell you about the theme of the book? What is significant about the phrase Son of ? REFLECTION: Mark records the beginning of John the ministry. John the Baptist had a very direct message: not about ME, all about message is inescapable: It is all about Jesus, which means not all about us. Is this a difficult message to hear, even when you are doing a Bible study about Jesus? Read Matthew 11:11 and Mark 1:7. What is the significance of words when you factor in his position and status? While Gospel opens up with declarations about the greatness of Jesus, fascinating what Jesus first recorded act is: being baptized. What is the significance of baptism? Why would Jesus, who is sinless, be baptized? (Hint: Jesus answers objection in Matthew 3:15). What is Jesus foreshadowing in the very first moments of His ministry? Mark 1:10 describes the Holy Spirit descending on Jesus, a sign for and the source of His empowerment to do His ministry. Do you see the full Trinity in 1:9-11? What is the role the Holy Spirt is playing? In Mark 1:12 we see the word, This word is a signature one in Gospel. Watch for it as we go along. What is Jesus immediately thrust into after the Spirit falls on Him? Does this strike you as odd, or have you experienced the same phenomenon as a Christ follower? Why is it significant that Jesus was tempted by Satan in the wilderness? RESPOND: How can you proclaim the greatness of Jesus with your mouth and in your life this week? In what specific ways can you model His humility this week? With great confidence we can face the temptation of the enemy and the weariness of the wilderness because Jesus, our great Savior, has done so. We can do so only through the power of the given Holy Spirit in our lives. 6 7 Mark 1:14-20; 2:13-17 Key Verse(s): 1:17 An REVIEW: Jesus begins His public ministry by preaching the gospel and inviting a small group of men to come along for the ride of their lives. Preaching the gospel and inviting others into the journey; simple, yet profound. What might we learn from the early descriptions of ministry? REFLECTION: Mark includes a significant little detail in verse 14. After John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of John arrest was the result of his willingness to call Herod to repentance over sinful relations. The timing of Jesus preaching about a new Kingdom and repentance might be viewed as a bit precarious in light of what happened to John. What can we learn about message and the proclamation of it in convenient times? Read Mark 1:15. The phrase time is refer to chronological time, but the timing of new chapter in His redemptive story. The King has come. People do not yet grasp it, but Jesus is identifying Himself as this fulfillment. How does teaching here affect how we think about the Old Testament? What does Jesus call people to do in response to this new moment in redemptive history? Jesus choice of disciples is fascinating. If you were going to select twelve people to change the world, what kind of people would you select? What do you know about 1st century fishermen? What do you make of choice here? Read Mark 2:13-17. Jesus selects another unusual candidate to be in his inner circle. How were tax collectors viewed in this society? What is Jesus accused of in these verses? What application can we make? In Mark 1:17, Jesus issues a profound invitation: Follow This was a great honor for a Rabbi to give one such an invitation especially for men who had been overlooked because of their profession or reputation.